Folding car-step.



1.1. MCCARTHY L c. MERTZ.

FOLDING CAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. 1916.

1 ,l 89,595. Patented July 4, 1916.

me/M0155 JOHN J. M9 cmzTI-IY CHRI. MER-f1 ttozmw msnen/usp uns o nn u rnrc.

FOLDING GAR-STEP.

lSpeccation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application led February 11, 1916. Serial No. 77,723.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, JOHN J. MGCARTHY andCARL Mnn'rz, citizens of the United States, residing at Lawler, in thecounty of Chickasaw and State of Iowa, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to car steps, and particularly to foldingr carsteps.

The general object of ourr invention is the provision of a car stephaving a permanent series of treads and risers and an auxiliary stepattached to the lower end of the perma nent series of steps normallysupported beneath the permanent steps but shift-able into a 'loweredposition and when so shifted, lockedin position. Y

A further object of our invention is the provision of a step of thischaracter which may be retracted by simply pressing upon a trip rod andwhich may be proJected either by pulling outward upon the auxiliary stepor by means of a lever mechanism.

i The steps of almost all railway cars to-day are disposed atconsiderable distanceV above the platform and as a consequence theporters or other attendants have to placestools at the car steps whenthe train stops in order for passengers to mount oralight. This isavoided by our improved car step in the manner which will be later seen.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

'Figure 1 is a vertical section of a car step constructed in accordancewith our invention; Fig.'- 2 is a rear view thereof with the auxiliarystep closed; Fig. 3 kis a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings, 10v designates the ordinary platform of acar having the usual opening 11. Extending downward fromy this openingin'parallel relation and at a slight inclination arey the side pieces 12which support the treads and risers 13, 13 and 14 and 14a, respectively.All of these `parts are of any suitable or usual construction. Hinged tothe lowertreadlla acent its outer edge is anauxilia'ry riser 15 which isnormally retained in a position approximately parallel. to thetreadfllla but may be turned into a verticalposition. Hingedto the loweredge of this auxiliary riser 15 is the auxiliary tread 16. This'tread ishinged intermediate its length so that there is 'a portion 17 whichprojects rearward of the yriser 15 when the riser is in its verticalposition. The rear end of this portion 17 is notched or otherwise formedto pivotally engage with a supporting member 18 which in turn ispivotally connected adjacent its upper end, as at 19, to the side pieces12. Normally this pivoted hanger 18 extends downward and inward, asillustrated in dotted lines in F ig. 1. When the auxiliary step,however, is shifted into operative posi* tion this hanger 18 extendsvertically downward as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1.

In order to hold the auxiliary step in its raised position and urge itto this position, we provide the spring or springs 25. These springs areeach attached at one end to the auxiliary step 17 and at the other endto the hanger or supporting member 18 so thatthe springs normally act tohold these members in yan angular relation toeach other, and it will beseen that these springs are expanded upon a movement of the step intoits operative position. 1

In order to hold the step in its operative position against the force ofthe spring 20,

we provide the latch 21 having the form of a bar which is pivoted at 22to the lower riser 14a. This latch extends inward through a slot 23formed in the hanger and is formed with a shoulder to engage with thehanger when the hanger is in a vertical position. The extremity of thedetent yor latch is connected by meansof a spring 20 to any suitableiixed support, as for instance, thelower face of the tread 18a.

For the purpose of releasing the latch, we

provide a trip rod 26 which at its lower end is connected to the latchbar 21 and at its upper end extends through an opening in the platform10 and is provided with the tread n plate 27." It will be obvious nowthat by steppingupon this tread plate, the latch 21 will be forceddownward from the position yshown in Fig. 1, and when this latch is soforced downward the springs 25 will act to yretract the step into theposition shown in dotted lines'in Fig." 1. For-the purpose of shiftingthe auxiliary step to its operative position, a handle 28 may bedisposed upon the under side of the auxiliary step so that theyauxiliary step maybe readily drawn out byt drawing outward upon thehandle. It

k'is obvious,ihowever, asr illustrated in Fig. 1, Vthat ay lever `may beusedk for this purpose which may be operated from the car platform tothrow the step outward. lVe have obvious from what has gone before. Whenthe train stops, the porter or other attendant may either operate thelever 29 to lower the auxiliary step, or getting off the car may pullupon the handle 28 to lower the step. When the step is lowered it isautomatically locked by the latch 21 so that it cannot move rearward.This auxiliary step comes relatively close to the platform so that thereis no trouble in mounting the car or descending therefrom. When it isdesired to raise the step it is only lnecessary to step on the trip 26which releases the latch, whereupon the springs 20 will retract thestep*y toits position underneath the regular step. y

It. is obvious thatthe exact construction and arrangement of parts maybe changed without departing from the spirit of the invention and vmanymodifications might be made which would be within the .scope of theinvention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is: r

1. The combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, of anauxiliary step comprising a member pivotally connected to thetread andan auxiliary tread pivotally connected to the lower end of the memberand extending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connected to thepermanent steps and pivotally engaged with ythe rear end of theauxiliaryl tread, means normally urging the parts into a position withthe auxiliary tread in approximately parallel relation to the lower stepandfbeneathA saidstep, means for latching said parts in position withthe auxiliary tread parallel to but projected beyond the lower tread ofthe permanent car step, andmeans for releasing said latching means.

2; The Vcombination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, ofan auxiliary step comprising a member rpivotally connected to the treadand an auxiliarytread pivotally connected to the lower end of saidvmember, and extending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connectedto the permanent steps and pivotally engaged Vwith the rear end oftheauxiliary tread, means normally urging the parts into` a position withthe auxiliary tread ,in approximately parallel relation to the lowerstepand enti-rely beneath ythe step, a spring actuated latch adapted toengage the hanger when in a vertical position to hold Ait from movementand therebyhold the auxiliary tread projected beyond the lowest tread ofthe permanent steps, and means for releasing said latch.

3. rThe combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, ofan auxiliary step comprising a riser pivotally connected to the treadand a tread pivotally connected -to the lower end of the riser andextending rearward therefrom, avhanger pivotally connected to thepermanent steps and pivotally engaged with the rear end of the,auxiliary tread, Vsprings vnormally urging the parts into a positionwith the auxiliary riser .andV

tread in approximatelyparallel relation to the lower step and beneathsaidstep, and a spring actuated latch bar adapted 'to engage the hangerwhen in a vertical position to hold it from movement, and ymeans forreleasing said ylatch bar. Y l

4l. The Combination with a permanent car step having a lower tread, ofan auxiliary step comprising a riser pivotally connected tothe tread`and a tread-pivotally connected to the lower end of the riser 'andextending rearward therefrom, a hanger pivotally connected -to thepermanent steps and pivotally engaged with the rear end of the auxiliarytread, springs normally -urging the parts into' a position with theauxiliary riser and tread in approximately parallel relation lto membersand alower tread, `of a riser pivotally connected tothe forward edgeofthe lower tread, an auxiliary step hingedly connected intermediate itsends -to the lower edge of the auxiliary riser, va vhanger-pivotallymounted at lits upper end .between the side members of the lpermanentcarvstep and depending therefrom and pivotally con-Y nected to the rearend of theauxiliary tread,

said hanger being slotted, springs `connected to the permanent step andtothe auxiliary tread at its pointfof connection with thecorrespondingriser, a latch bar .pivotallyconnected toa tread ofthepermanent car steps, extending rearward therefrom and vpassing Ythroughand formed with a :notch ito form one wall of the slot, said latch barholding the hanger in ardepending positionwhen so engaged,a-springconnected to the outer end of the latch bar'and urging itupward, and a trip rod connectedto the outer .end of the latch bar andpassing upward through the y platform.

' 6. A oar step including permanent treads and risers, an auXiliaryriserhingedly connected to the lowermost permanent tread n and foldable intoparallel relation thereto and beneath said tread, an auxiliary treadpvotally 'connected lto the vauxiliary riser,

a lever operatively supported in Connection With the permanenty stepsyand having one end Slotted, means on the rear end ofthe yauxiliary treadengaging said slot, and Inanuallyy operable meansforaotuating said leverto shift the auxiliary tread into position entirelyv beneath thepermanent tread or l5 projected beyond the permanent tread.

"In testimony whereof We hereunto aliX lour signatures in the presenceof two Wit,-

copies otthil patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressingythe Commissioner Yof Patente. Wuhington, D. C.

